


Foreign Words

by Yadirocks



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-20 03:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7388476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yadirocks/pseuds/Yadirocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something different about Seung-hwan Oh that Yadier is fascinated by. It could be because Yadier is exactly two days older than him, or because the Korean can pitch better than anyone he's ever seen. Or maybe, just maybe, it's destiny for them to be best friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Foreign Words

"Yadier, I need to speak with you for a moment," Mike Matheny said as soon as Yadier walked through the front doors of Roger Dean Stadium. Those certainly were not the words he was expecting to hear. His chest suddenly felt heavy, and a fear he hadn't had in four years crept back into his mind. "About what?" he asked warily, glancing at Adam Wainwright, who was watching the exchange from nearby. Adam raised an eyebrow and shrugged. What help he was.

Mike motioned for him to follow, and said, "Let's take a walk."

His heart beat faster than he'd ever felt before. "Okay," he said reluctantly, dropping his gear bag. As they walked, Yadier stared at his hand that was wrapped in gauze. It was that stupid ligament's fault. If not for it, he'd be able to play and maybe Mike wouldn't be walking with him right now. A lump filled his throat, and he bit back tears. When a manager asks you to take a walk with them, nine times out of ten, it's not good news.

"Mike, just say it," he whispered. The manager glanced at him, as if just noticing the catcher was there. His eyes widened when he saw that Yadier was on the verge of tears. "What's wrong?" he asked. Like he didn't know...

Yadier sniffed. "If you're going to let me go, just tell me and I'll go get my stuff," he murmured, not meeting Mike's eyes. He couldn't. How would he tell the boys? His wife? His kids? His brothers?

Hands were on his shoulders. "Yadier, look at me."

It took a lot of effort to meet Mike's eyes. He wished he could crawl in a hole and die. That sounded nice. Mike actually had a smile on his face. How could he be that cruel.

"Yadier, I am not trading you. That's not what this is about, not even close. Don't get so worked up," Mike said. His shoulders sagged in relief. Now he felt stupid. "Then...what is this about, Mike?" he asked, dissatisfied with the way his voice shook.

Mike chuckled, putting his arm around Yadier's shoulders and talking as they walked. "Well, you may have heard about the pitcher we got from Korea," Mike said. Yadier nodded. "Seung-hwan Oh," he said, though with his accent, he was sure it sounded like 'Soon One Oh.' Still, Mike nodded.

"Well, he cannot speak English, which was expected. We hired him a translator, Eugene Koo, who is one of the best in the business, so the only problem with communication will be when he's on the mound. The only person who will have that problem, other than us coaches, is-"

"Me," Yadier answered for him. Mike nodded again, and he smiled at Yadier. "That's why I want you to start communicating with him now, during pitchers and catchers report and Spring Training. With your injury, I hadn't planned on giving you a heavy workload anyway, so you'll have more time to get to know him, make him feel at home. That's all I ask of you during this training month, Yadier. I know you've been in his shoes," Mike said.

He was right about that. Flashbacks of garbled speech that he couldn't understand and the fear that he never would came back with full force. His first year in the Cardinals' minor league system had been a complete nightmare. He didn't know how Oh was going to handle coming straight to the majors without know a word of English. That's why Mike wanted him to help, he assumed, so he wouldn't be afraid.

He sighed, meeting Mike's eyes. "Okay. I won't let you down, Mike. When can I meet him?" he asked.

The manager gave him a sheepish smile. "Actually, that's where we're going," he said, pointing to a picnic table that was shaded by an umbrella. Two men were sitting there, side by side, heads bent low.

Both of them were dressed in red Cardinals hoodies, though the tallest one had on a cap and the shortest did not. The shortest man also wore sunglasses, even though it was cloudy outside, which Yadier found odd. As they approached, the short man looked up, a bright grin spreading onto his face. 

"You must be Yadier Molina!" he said, taking off his sunglasses to reveal brown eyes and high cheek bones. Yadier gave him what he hoped didn't look like a fake smile. "And you must be Eugene," he said in return, accepting the hand that the translator reached out and shaking it. 

Oh, who must've been the tallest, didn't even hardly glance in his direction. He was staring at his hot dog like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Eugene nudged Seung with his elbow and coughed loudly to get his attention, saying something in Korean. Oh's gaze barely lifted from the hot dog to Yadier. He wasn't expecting the funny look on Seung's face, and the pitcher turned to his translator and said something. 

"What did he say?" Mike asked. Eugene blushed, glaring at Seung before saying, "He thinks you look funny. Not in a bad way, though. You're from Puerto Rico, right?" Eugene asked.

Yadier nodded, and said, "It's okay, you can tell him I think I look funny too."

The translator smiled and spoke so fast that Yadier was almost sure that even if he spoke Korean, he wouldn't have known what he was saying. Oh somehow understood, returning his gaze to Yadier. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips, but it was gone so quickly that Yadier thought he might've imagined it. Mike smiled, patting Yadier on the shoulder. "I'll leave you two to it, then. I'll be in the bullpen working with the starters if you need me," he said, abandoning Yadier with Oh and Eugene.

Yadier sat down on the opposite side of the picnic table as Eugene also took his seat. "So, Mr. Molina-"

"Call me Yadi," Yadier said quickly. He hated it when people called him 'Mr. Molina.' That title belonged to his father and it always would. Eugene saw the look on his face and nodded. Oh looked up as well, but didn't say anything. Eugene continued, "So, Yadi, how do you handle your pitchers? Like, especially new ones?" he asked.

He'd been asked this question so many times that the answer came to him immediately. "I let the pitcher tell me what he wants to do, and then I tell him what I like to do, and we decide together," he said. Eugene nodded and translated this to Seung, who seemed a bit more alert than he had before.

The pitcher said something, and Eugene said, "He wants to know how you plan to communicate signs."

Yadier shrugged. "The normal way, I guess. Numbers are the same, I think. One is fastball, two is changeup, three is curve, and four is...well, up to the pitcher, really, depending on what his fourth pitch is," he explained. "I will put my glove where I want the ball."

Now Yadier could understand the bored look in Seung's eyes. It must be old, having to speak to a translator and not directly to someone. So, Yadier tapped his hand that was resting on the table. He made sure Oh was looking at him before he held up his finger and said, "One. Fastball."

He did this with the other two, and then asked Eugene, "What is his fourth pitch?"

Eugene translated, and Oh looked down. He opened his mouth to speak, and shut it again. Eugene said something else, and Seung nodded. "S...slider?" he said, looking at Eugene for confirmation.

Yadier nodded instead. "So four. Slider," he said, holding up four fingers. Oh nodded, averting his eyes once more. Yadier sighed. It would take a while, but this might just work out. "How old are you?" he asked.

Seung looked confused, so Eugene translated. Oh held up three fingers with one hand and three with the other. "You're thirty-three? I am too," Yadier said with a smile. Oh must've understood this, because he looked surprised. "What month and day?" he asked.

Oh looked to Eugene for help, and Eugene repeated the sentence back in Korean. Seung paused before finding the right word. "July," he said, but couldn't figure out the word for the day. Eugene said, "Fifteenth." Oh echoed the word.

"July 15th? You're two days younger than me," Yadier said, before fully realizing what that meant. Finally, finally, he had found someone his age, fully his age. He smiled at Seung, a genuine smile, as Eugene restated it in Korean.

Oh returned the smile, and just like that, their friendship blossomed.

************

"How is his English coming along?" 

Eugene stared at the pitcher that was having a bullpen session. It was late in April, and the Cardinals season has taken an unexpected bad turn. Even with everyone healthy, they still couldn't find their rhythm. Of course, Yadier never would've settled for less than his best, but he couldn't control much more outside of catching and pitching, and sometimes hitting. 

Right now, it was an off day, a well-deserved one at that. Eugene glanced at Yadier with a sigh. "It could be better. He's never got time to study because he wants to be on the field at all times. He's always working. It's not very hard to see why everyone in Korea loved him so much," he said.

Even now, when he threw a strike that didn't perfectly hit its spot, Seung frowned and looked like he was upset with himself. The pitch was still beautiful, a changeup that perfectly coated the outside corner of the zone, but he didn't hit exact location. 

Of course, Yadier had done his duty, as Mike had wanted him to. He talked with Oh when he could, invited him to pool parties at his house and to restaurants when he and some of the boys were going to go out. He had spent more time with Seung than a lot of the other players on the team, only excluding Adam Wainwright and Matt Holliday. There was something about this pitcher that was unique, and it wasn't just his pitches. It was his personality.

"He talks a lot about you," Eugene said suddenly, catching Yadier off guard. He looked at the translator, who had put his sunglasses back on, even though they were in the shade of the bullpen. Yadier raised an eyebrow. "He does?" he asked.

Koo nodded. "Yeah, he tells me how you go out of your way a lot to make him feel like he belongs here. He really appreciates it. He would tell you that, of course, if he could. At this point, he can understand what you say, but can't say it. You know?" he asked, lifting his sunglasses just enough to look Yadier in the eye.

The catcher nodded. He had been there. He remembered his first interview in English. He had nearly thrown up afterwards because he was so embarrassed. All around him, lights and cameras flashed everywhere, people asking him questions he could understand, but couldn't find the words to answer. He had been afraid, and no one had come to his rescue. He had spent that night tossing in turning in his bed, wondering how he would ever get by.

He brushed back those memories. That was the past. He had turned out fine, obviously, or he wouldn't be here. He pushed back the lingering loneliness the memory had brought with it, and focused his attention once more on Seung, who had finished his bullpen session and was now making his way over to the bench.

Yadier smiled at him, and said, "Good job."

Seung looked to Eugene, who raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'come on, you know this one.' Seung sighed, looking up like he was searching his brain for the words. "T...thank you," he said after a minute. Yadier nodded, and he relaxed in relief. 

Michael Wacha came into the bullpen with Carlos Martinez, a normal sight nowadays. Carlos plopped down next to Yadier, typing a text message on his phone. Michael smiled at Seung. "How did you do?" he asked.

Carlos looked up. "He doesn't know what you're saying, Mikey. He doesn't speak English," he said. Yadier smacked him on the back of the head, and Carlos winced. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head. Yadier motioned at Seung. "He understands what you're saying, he just has trouble with saying it himself now. Besides, you still have trouble with English too," Yadier added, and Carlos crossed his arms and mumbled something.

Yadier rolled his eyes, ignoring the grumpy pitcher. Seung looked back at Michael and said, "Good, thank you."

With a grin, Michael peered around Oh. "How is it that he is more polite to me than you are and you're my best friend?" he asked Carlos. Martinez rolled his eyes. "As your best friend, I know your flaws, and I deal with you despite them," he said, returning his gaze to his phone.

As the two bickered, Yadier stood, putting on his chest guard. He was getting ready to clasp the last button on his shin guards when he noticed a shadow hovering over him. He looked up to see Seung standing in front of him. "What's up?" he asked.

The pitcher opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind, and before Yadier could ask him again, he turned and walked down the tunnel to the locker room. Yadier looked to Eugene, who shrugged and followed the Korean, leaving Yadier to wonder what Seung had wanted to say.

***********

The game was on the line. It was the bottom of the ninth, two outs, and the bases loaded for none other than Bryce Harper. Rosenthal wouldn't meet his gaze when he tried to talk to him. His confidence was gone, and so was his stuff. "Rosey, look at me," Yadier tried, but failed when the pitcher only turned away. Yadier looked to Mike, who was already approaching, and the manager gestured to the bullpen. 

Out popped Seung. Yadier was relieved. Of all the pitchers he got to catch from the bullpen, Oh was the most determined to do his best. Yadier could tell just by the way he ran to the mound that he wasn't threatened by Harper, no matter what he'd seen from Bryce in this series. It'd been a while since Yadier had had a pitcher like that.

"Just get this out," Mike said, which was all he really needed to say. As Mike left the mound, Yadier turned to Oh. "Let's go four, three, four, and if we need more than that, just trust me and go with what I put down," Yadier whispered in his ear. Seung nodded, and Yadier gave him a light pat on the hip before walking back to the backstop.

The first pitch, the slider, was a beauty that Harper had a hard time even seeing. It blew by him for strike one, hitting location perfectly. Yadier crouched back down, preparing for the second pitch, the changeup. It was fouled back by Bryce. There was no turning back. Seung was either going to beat Harper with his best pitch, or this game was going to extra innings or might even be over.

Seung bore down at Yadier from the mound. Yadier met his eyes just once, and that look told him that Seung wouldn't let him down. He didn't need words to know that. 

The slider was beautiful once more. Unfortunately, it fouled straight back and hit him in the mask, right where it hurt. Yadier blinked a time or two, taking in the pain that went through his skull. The umpire looked down at him. "Do you need time?" he asked, and Yadier finally collected himself enough to say, "Uh...yeah..."

Somehow, he managed to walk to the mound. His vision started to swim, but he blinked back the fuzzy dots, and when he did, he realized Seung was beside him and was basically holding him up, but was making it look like Yadier was fine at the same time, as if they were having a normal chat on the mound. He looked concerned. "Okay?" he asked. Yadier swallowed hard and nodded, standing up straight. The wooziness he had felt slowly faded and he said, "Let's go with four again, okay?"

The pitcher nodded, still looking worried. Yadier looked him in the eye. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me," he said.

It was only when he was walking back that he realized he'd been talking in Spanish.

This time, Harper didn't foul it off, but instead swung right through strike three. Yadier went out to the mound to meet Oh, who gave him a grin, but it was obvious that he was concerned still. Yadier shook his head and high fived the pitcher. "You know, even though it was Bryce Harper, I've been hit a lot harder in the head," he said.

Seung smiled, and Matt Holliday said, "I can believe that."

This received a chorus of laughter from the guys before they went through the handshake line. Instead of shaking his hand, Seung turned around and hugged Yadier. Before Yadier could return it after recovering from his shock, Seung had already gone down half the line. There was something interesting about Oh...and he would find out soon enough what it was.

*************

He woke with a start, sitting up straight and breathing hard. The room was dark, and he nearly forgot where he was. He stared at the sheets, trying to recollect where he was and why. Then, it came to him. Cincinnati. That's where he was. The Cardinals were playing the Reds, and that's why he was here.

He relaxed, trying to calm his breathing. "It was just a dream," he whispered over and over. But...it wasn't. Yadier could still remember what it was about because it was a memory. 

In his nightmare, he was walking into Busch Stadium, the sunlight shining on him and reminding him so much of Puerto Rico. His heart ached for his home. He hated English. 

Suddenly, a hand was on his shoulder, and Yadier was turned around to look at a man with a mean face and a scowl upon his features. He was an older man, much older than Yadier, and he spoke in harsh English. Yadier could understand what he said.

"What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be warming up in the bullpen," the man said. Yadier stared at his shoes. He didn't know how to answer. He was scared. He couldn't do this. "No habla Ingles," he murmured helplessly. 

The man's eyes widened. "Oh, you're that new kid. The guy who can understand English, but can't speak it. I bet you use it just so everyone feels sorry for you and you don't have to do interviews. Pathetic," the man snarled. 

Yadier felt tears fill his eyes. He searched the field desperately for help, but none came. The man pushed him to the ground, and Yadier stayed there, afraid to get up. "You'd better learn fast, or you're going to have a tough time here," his teammate said, before he walked off, leaving Yadier laying in the dirt, embarrassed and sad at the same time.

He shook his head of his nightmare. That didn't matter now. It was the past.

A hand was on his arm, and Yadier jumped, yelping a word in Spanish that his mother would've slapped him for. A lamp turned on, and Seung turned to him. Yadier was confused as to why Oh was in his room, but then remembered that they had to bunk with people and Mike had basically told Yadier he had to bunk with Seung. 

"Okay?" he asked, concern obvious on his face. Yadier suddenly felt heat rise on his cheeks, embarrassed that he had woken his friend because of a silly nightmare. He nodded, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to meet Seung's. Maybe he would accept this answer and go to bed. 

However, he felt the pitcher sit down in front of him. A hand was on his shoulder, gripping it firmly. "You shaking," Seung attempted, but Yadier wasn't about to call him out for not getting it completely right. Yadier was wondering why he was so worried. Normally, even his closest friends would write it off as a bad dream and go to bed.

The recollection of the foul tip the night before came back, and it dawned on him. Maybe that's why he felt so...out of place. He was tired, but every time he closed his eyes, he could feel the hard ground beneath him after he was pushed, and feel the fear creep into his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down at his hands, which were shaking uncontrollably. He clinched them into fists to try to stop their shaking.

The hand squeezed his shoulder, but Seung didn't say anything as he waited for Yadier to control his shaking. This was even more embarrassing than the nightmare. He was sweating, he knew, and even though he was only in a tank top and boxer briefs, he felt hot. 

As if he had the same train of thought, Seung placed the back of his hand against Yadier's forehead. "Warm?" he asked, and Yadier nodded. The presence in front of him left, and he heard the ceiling fan click on moments later, showering him in its cool wind. 

Seung returned to where he was before, and he said, "You need rest."

Yadier opened his mouth to argue, but then remembered that Seung was only trying to help, and how much it would've crushed him when he had been in Oh's position for his friend to get upset at him. So, Yadier hesitantly nodded, laying back. He was expecting Seung to go back to bed, but instead felt covers placed over his shoulders. 

There was a long moment of silence, before Yadier opened his eyes to see Seung staring at him, that same look on his face that he'd had in the dugout the day before. "What?" he asked as gently as he could.

Seung opened his mouth, and for a moment, Yadier thought he was going to abandon the thought again like the last time. Then, he asked, so softly Yadier almost didn't hear, "You have same dream? Being alone?"

Yadier paused, closing his eyes. He didn't want to talk about his dream. But maybe...Seung needed to hear him say it. Maybe Oh was watching him more than he thought, noticing his emotions and taking them into account. Perhaps he felt like Yadier was the only one that might actually understand him. And Yadier did understand, all too much.

"Yes," he whispered. There was a long pause again, before Seung said, "You not alone."

Yadier opened his eyes to see Seung staring at his sheets. "Not now," he whispered, meeting Yadier's eyes. A wave of comfort passed over him that he didn't know he had needed but now clung to. He nearly fell asleep as he said, "Neither are you."

He felt the blankets get tucked in around him more. "Good dream this time," he heard Seung whisper, before the lamp shut off and he slipped back into sleep.

**********

The crowd cheered as Seung looked in for his sign. They needed one more strike to end this game, and then they would complete the sweep of Milwaukee. 

The pitch was that filthy slider that even Yadier had a hard time keeping up with, and Braun did too, as he swung and missed. The crowd erupted and Yadier made his way out to the mound to greet Seung.

As he was walking, Oh pointed to the sky, a smile plastered on his face, exactly what Yadier did after every hit. A smile spread onto his face as well, and he pointed too, hugging Oh and whispering, "I'm proud of you."

The pitcher blushed and said, "Thank you." 

As they walked, Yadier's arm around Seung's shoulders, he knew he had finally found someone who understood. He had finally found his best friend.


End file.
